American TV series: Starting with exploiting young Sheldon

Children may be ignorant, but adults must know their place.

Having received such kindness, Gardner felt he should personally thank the person who had helped him.

“When I grow up, I will definitely come back to repay that big sister if I have the chance…” Little Chris followed his father’s gaze and looked at Max.

It turns out that the saying "children from poor families learn to be independent early" is indeed very true.

Although little Chris is young, he's not completely clueless. Besides, the birthday cake he just ate had a price tag on it in the shop window.

"I'm so glad you have the idea of ​​repaying kindness. We can't take other people's help for granted just because we're poor now..." Gardner patted his youngest son's head with satisfaction, a rare smile appearing on his face.

Ultimately, Gardner decided to take his youngest son with him before leaving to thank Max.

“Chris and I are about to leave. Thank you for letting us in to take shelter from the snow. Also, the cake and donuts were delicious…” Gardner, holding his youngest son’s hand, approached Caroline and Max to express his gratitude.

Of course, these words of thanks were mainly directed at Max.

Although the snow outside hasn't stopped yet, Gardner, who still needs to find a place to stay for the night, has already decided to leave.

"It's nothing, it's what we should do..." Caroline, who was also thanked, was in a good mood.

At this moment, she also noticed that the man in front of her was indeed very down on his luck. Due to long-term malnutrition, his cheeks were very thin and his complexion was not good.

The little one on the side was being taken good care of.

“Oh, right, Max. Don’t we have some donuts and cupcakes that are about to expire and we need to get rid of them? Since this gentleman likes them, we can give them to him…” Caroline also had a heart to help others, but her actions were rather clumsy.

Compared to her, Max is considered quite tactful.

There's a saying: It all depends on the praise from "peers".

"Thank you~" Gardner clearly felt the "young lady's" kindness.

As for feeling ashamed and losing face?

Gardner isn't as concerned about getting Chris to eat a few more decent meals these days.

“Max, I remember we have some bread that needs to be processed, you can pack it up too…” Caroline, who was enjoying the feeling of doing a good deed, winked at Max as she spoke.

It's probably a reminder to the other party to add more decorations.

"Okay~" Max looked at his friend's childish appearance and felt a little embarrassed.

Moreover, the other person's blinking was so obvious that even a blind person could see it.

Anyway, the Gardner father and son standing to the side are definitely not blind.

"Are you practicing mental arithmetic?" To avoid embarrassment, Gardner glanced at the messy ledger on the table after Max left and casually started a conversation.

Although Gardner was born in a poor neighborhood and didn't receive much formal education, he was a "genius" with a natural talent for numbers.

He could mentally calculate the answers to all the numbers on the table.

“This isn’t some math problem; it’s the shop’s income and expenses records for three months. There are too many accounts and they’re too complicated. It’s giving me a headache…” Caroline couldn’t help but complain when talking about the accounts.

"This is an account book?" Gardner was surprised and reminded him, "You should use a tabular system for bookkeeping, which is simple, convenient, and easy to understand."

Gardner clearly knew where his talent lay and had studied it on his own for a period of time.

"The tabular method? What's that?" Caroline asked, not understanding.

Looking into the girl's clear eyes, Gardner said, "This is very simple, let me demonstrate it for you..."

So when Max came out carrying a large bag of food, she saw Gardner hunched over the table drawing a table, while Caroline watched from the side.

Chapter 542 Miracle Light

"Come look, Max. This is a miracle!"

Caroline, who witnessed Gardner sort out the accounts in a short time, excitedly called her friend over.

In just ten minutes, Gardner not only completed the accounting spreadsheets, but also wrote down the coffee shop's total profit for the three months.

"My God, we actually made over ten thousand US dollars!!!" Caroline picked up the organized spreadsheet and bill, her face beaming with joy.

Ten thousand US dollars was nothing to Caroline in the past.

But now, she feels a special sense of satisfaction from earning this money through her own labor.

“Um, the ledgers you keep aren’t actually complete. You haven’t included expenses like rent and utilities…” Gardner whispered to Caroline after organizing the accounts.

In such a prime location as Fifth Avenue, the company only earns a little over 10,000 US dollars in three months, which is normally not even enough to cover the rent.

Not to mention labor costs.

Therefore, in Gardner's view, Caroline and Max are not actually suited to do business.

Of course, Gardner had no idea that the small coffee shop would have only lost more money. It was only in the month after Max joined that it started to actually make a profit, slightly making up for some of the previous losses.

If it were just Caroline, then it would simply be doing "charity".

“I don’t care, I’ve made money anyway.” However, still immersed in the joy of making money, Caroline now refuses to communicate with anyone.

On the other hand, Max was well aware of the current situation of this small coffee shop, but she couldn't think of a way to make the shop more profitable for the time being.

"I see you're pretty good at math, why didn't you find a normal job? Like an accountant or a clerk?" Max couldn't help but ask as he handed Gardner the bag of desserts he had just packed.

Gardner's current situation clearly indicates that he is unemployed.

“You know the current economic situation. Even people with accounting certificates can’t always find jobs, let alone someone like me who doesn’t have a certificate and works without a job. As for clerks, they prefer to hire young and pretty girls…” Gardner shook his head with a wry smile.

With a child in tow, he really doesn't have much of a competitive edge in today's sluggish economy.

"What a shitty world!!!" Max exclaimed in dismay.

“That’s just how the world is, but we shouldn’t give up hope for life. Shouldn’t we?” Gardner said optimistically. “I just submitted my resume to the King Group not long ago, applying for a sales position that doesn’t require a degree. Maybe the next time we meet, I’ll already be an employee of the King Group.”

The Great Depression did not affect the King Group's development; in fact, it thrived even more.

Therefore, there are many job opportunities available.

In addition, the King Group's affordable burgers and donuts have fostered a sense of goodwill towards the group, even among unemployed individuals like Gardner.

"Then I wish you good luck~" Max offered his kind blessing upon seeing Gardner's positive attitude towards life.

"I wish you a pleasant life too~" Gardner packed up the food bag and the medical equipment, bowed slightly, and led his son outside.

Just then, the glass door of the coffee shop was pushed open from the outside, and three figures walked in through the snowflakes.

"It's decorated quite cozy," Mike said, shaking off the snowflakes and looking around Caroline's little shop.

The space isn't large, but it feels like home.

"Mike, why are you here in the snow?" Caroline spotted Mike immediately.

Although the girl was uttering a question, she was already happily running towards Mike.

Caroline absolutely loved this unexpected little surprise, which had a touch of freshness to it.

"Just stopped by while I was shopping." Mike smiled and hugged the girl, his tone sounding somewhat perfunctory.

However, Caroline didn't mind. She happily led Mike into the store and said, "Why didn't you let me know you were coming? I would have planned how to entertain you."

Although the shop is small, it is Caroline's first formal business venture.

At that moment, she seemed like a child showing off candy to an adult.

“It’s not too late now. Bring up your best coffee and desserts. Let me taste them for you…” Mike, who had just sat down, ordered Caroline around without any hesitation.

“Yes, sir! I guarantee you’ll be satisfied!” Caroline responded cooperatively, then waved to her friend who was still in a daze, “Max, why don’t you show us your skills too?”

Mike's face frequently appears on the front page of major newspapers, and even Max, who doesn't follow the news, knows that he is the owner of the King Corporation.

Young...handsome...rich...

These are all Mike's labels.

However, this seemingly perfect person, like a prince from a fairy tale, now appears to have a very close relationship with his girlfriends.

Max had guessed that Caroline was a rich heiress, but it turns out that her background is even stronger than he thought.

"Why didn't you tell me that your boyfriend is the owner of the King Group?" Max, still in surprise after being pulled behind the counter, said with exasperation, "If I were you, why would you still be running a coffee shop? With such an outstanding boyfriend, I would definitely shower myself clean and present myself to him every day."

Earning 10,000 US dollars after three months of hard work probably wouldn't even cover the amount of a single tip for someone as wealthy as Mike.

Of course, this analogy is a bit exaggerated, but that's the gist of it.

"Let me tell you a secret, Mike is a womanizer. If you like him, you can wash yourself clean and send yourself to him right now..." Caroline teased mischievously.

This shows that she and Max have a really good relationship.

"Forget it, I know my own limitations. And don't think I haven't heard of the King's Cabaret. There are over a hundred young and beautiful women there; I can't compete with them." Max has a great figure and a decent face, but she's a bit older.

All things considered, the advantages are not very obvious.

Moreover, Max is more free-spirited and wild in terms of personality. She looked at her friend who had teased her and retorted, "Besides, I'm not on the same wavelength as you guys. When I become rich in the future, I might consider supporting a gigolo like your boyfriend."

Caroline: "Well, so you really were eyeing Mike's good looks!!!"

……

Girls often have very explicit whispers, and the closer their relationship, the more vulgar the content.

Although Caroline and Max were speaking in hushed tones, Mike could hear them as if they were talking right next to his ear.

However, as the two of them talked in increasingly vulgar ways, Mike consciously blocked out the noise pollution.

Then, out of boredom, he picked up the forms and bills on the table and looked at them.

At the entrance of the coffee shop, Gardner, who had originally intended to leave, stood frozen in place after recognizing Mike.

They dared not presume to disturb him, yet were reluctant to leave.

Seeing Mike pick up the forms and bills on the table, his heart pounded even harder than ever before.

Although Gardner himself didn't know why, there was an unrealistic expectation in his mind.

It's like waiting for a ray of light in the darkness.

Unfortunately, Mike quickly put the bill back on the table and then just glanced casually at the door.

Nothing happened during the entire process.

Chapter 543 Talent and Kindness

Before long, accompanied by the unique aroma of hand-ground coffee and the wheaty scent of freshly baked bread, Caroline brought Mike and the other two her treasured cups of fine coffee.

Also served were freshly baked mini rolls by Max and a beautiful cake.

While Lina, the "little maid," was eagerly digging in, Mike picked up the bill on the table and asked, "Did you make this project sheet yourselves? It's quite professional."

A true expert's skill is immediately apparent.

The bill that Gardner hastily created is not only concise but also clearly organized and categorized.

“Max and I don’t have that ability. A customer did it for us…” The easygoing Caroline noticed out of the corner of her eye that Gardner hadn’t left yet, so she decided to say something nice for him: “Look, it’s that gentleman over there. He sorted out three months’ worth of accounts for us in less than ten minutes.”

"Oh?" After hearing the girl's explanation, Mike looked at the doorway again.

“Hello, Mr. Mike. I’m Chris Gardner…” The opportunity came again, and Gardner, not knowing where he got the courage, walked up to Mike and said, “You know, you’re my idol. Your story has always inspired me. I even submitted my resume to your company…”

Perhaps because he was too excited, Gardner's voice was not only hoarse, but also somewhat incomparable.

Overall, it was absolutely terrible.

He himself seemed to realize this, and quickly stopped speaking awkwardly.

"What position are you looking for, financial accountant or data analyst?" Mike's voice rang out.

He had actually recognized Gardner's identity long ago—a man with a real talent for "numbers".

To put it simply, he's a genius, roughly equivalent to a weaker version of Sheldon Jr.

Of course, in terms of personality, Gardner is obviously not as difficult to deal with as Sheldon Jr.

"I actually applied for a sales position," Gardner replied guiltily.

Gardner, who lacks academic credentials, is a hidden gem.

However, he himself did not realize this. At this time, he was still in a state of confusion and his personality was somewhat inferior.

"Your financial statements are so good, it's a waste for you to be a salesman." Mike weighed the accounts in his hand and said, "How about this, go to the King Corporation and find Chris, and have him arrange a job for you that will allow you to use your strengths."

Gardner is a rare talent; if used properly, he could be an absolute ace.